Visitors 3

If you haven't already, you might want to read part 1 and part 2 before you read this.

Sheep Farm Visit

To the British readers of this blog, the chance to visit a sheep farm may not seem all that exciting. Sheep are pretty common round our way. In fact, I've spent a fair proportion of my life living in a house with a field full of sheep adjoining the garden. However, in Korea they are something of a rare breed and a novelty, at least enough that you can charge a few quid to come and look around the farm.

The farm itself is perched on the side of a hill between here and the coast. In fact, from the top you can see all the way to Gangneung and the sea. I'd say it was one of the most spectacular views in Gangwon-do when the sun is out. It's enhanced by the wind turbines towering over you. I really like wind turbines. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits they provide, the design is a little bit mysterious and otherworldly, and I think makes a landscape look more interesting, rather than detracting from it's beauty. What really does detract though, is the awful muzak that is piped in from speakers on every couple of fenceposts as you walk around the farm.

There weren't actually that many sheep out in the fields when we visited. Rightly so, as shearing had just started - a blessed relief for a sheep that needs to be hirsute enough to survive a Gangwon winter (-20C or so). While they were waiting for a haircut, we had the chance to feed them. Here's how we did it.

All the walking and looking at sheep whetted my appetite for some lamb. We were told that the farm we were at didn't sell it's animals for meat, but that there was one on the other side of the valley that did. We drove over there to enquire, to be told that lamb sells for around about $100 per kilo. That means for a reasonable sized leg you're going to be paying about $200 by by reckoning. Lamb's tasty, but not that tasty I'm afraid. Is there anyone back in England who can post me a sheep?

That dress

Just occasionally you see something so amazing that you almost have no choice but to buy it. This happened to us wandering through Jinbu market. Linda's magpie eye was caught by something shiny on a clothes stall, which turned out to be a dress, on which the entire front was a rendering of Barack Obama's face in sequins. It truly is an amazing sight. I don't know when Linda will ever be able to wear it, but it's enough just to own so amazing a garment I think. I'm also wondering about commissioning a similar dress of my face for Michelle Obama.

Hiking

We also used the evening to hike up the small hill behind Jinbu to look down over the town. I've written about this little hike before, so I'm just going to post some of the pictures.

Linda over Jinbu.

In the pagoda thingy half way up.

This clock sits near the top of the hill, and keeps perfect time. I wonder who put it here, and who changes the batteries.

Almost there!

Made it!

OK. Enough again for this morning's posting. That might be it for a little while as I plan to cycle to a national park tomorrow, but I have a-whole-nother holiday to write about after this one, so more blogging will be forthcoming very soon.

A